If you ever want to be in love
by Clementi
Summary: Snape goes on a vacation and finds someone he didn't expect.
1. Chapter 1

AN: REPOST: Since I've had a few reactions that said my story lacked logic, I thought it was better to start anew and rewrite parts of this chapter. If I had continued along the same line, I would've got stuck somewhere, so this seemed to me to be the best solution. Thanks for alerting me! Writing is and remains a process of error and trial :-).

Also, sorry for the delay, but I've got exams.

Chapter 1

"Ah, come on, Severus! I'm sure a little vacation will do you good, because from what I can see, you look incredibly overworked. You know you should take care of yourself every now and then," said Robert cheerfully.

Severus stopped dead and looked down to the moving heap of wood in the fireplace with a mixture of exhaustion and annoyance. "If you would get that smirk of your face, I would maybe even consider it," he said curtly.

"I know you want tooo" Robert coaxed. "I can clearly see it: the way you're moving around, the way you're looking at me, the usual scowl that hides your enthusiasm..."

"Do not think that you still know me, Mr Malista," said Severus sternly. "Many years have gone by since our years at Hogwarts and a lot has changed since then. _I_ have changed..."

Robert pouted slightly. "Please, just think about it Sev. Two weeks, out here in the Canadian woods, just the two of us, having small duels, playing Wizard-chess, gathering herbs, brewing potions, talking over a beer... you know, just like old times."

Severus sighed and began pacing up and down his office again. "Your offer is very inopportune at the moment. It is nearly impossible for me to leave..."

"It is _always_ inopportune when it comes to you, Sev. How many times did you take me up on my offers, like, in your lifetime? I bet you can still count them on one hand."

"It is not my fault, neither is it a lie. Minerva is still ill, which means that she still counts on me to run the school during her recovery. And in the meantime I am still teaching my Potions classes as well. So t _hat_ is why your proposal is untimely, Mr Malista."

"But for how long will she stay ill? You've used that excuse like a hundred times already. Surely, she wouldn't mind it if you sought out an interim? That Potter boy for example? He's doing pretty well in the Ministry as an Auror I've heard?"

"Mr Malista... I don't want to have this discussion again... Face it, I can simply not accept your offer, I have responsibilities and I mean to see them through until Minerva can take over once more... Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to attend dinner in the Great Hall. This conversation is over," said Snape, turning abruptly away from the hearth, his black robes swirling elegantly about his legs.

"At least chew it over! Send me an e-mail or something, I'll be waiting!" Robert called after him, before putting the fire out.

Snape shook his head, whilst making his way downstairs. An e-mail... his friend was really getting too caught up in Muggle affaires. When he reached the big staircase, he was startled by the noises of screaming students. Apparently, it was one of those days when the stairs constantly turned and deliberately caused trouble for everyone. On his left, Snape saw a first-year student who was trapped on the moving stairs and two storeys below him he saw three boys pulling a girl up on the platform. Disgruntled, Severus pulled his wand out of his sleeve and pointed it at the masses of stone and mumbled _Petrificus Totalus._ Immediately the chaos ceased and a wave of relief went through the crowd.

"All to the Great Hall. Now!" he bellowed, as most of the students were looking at him with a curious expression on his face. "The first student that I will happen to catch walking around the corridors will spend a night in Mr Filch's cupboard."

This was enough of an incentive for the students to hurry along and soon the corridors were empty and silent again except for the resonance of Snape's own footsteps. Before heading down, he decided to pay Professor McGonagall a visit in the Hospital Wing. It had been a week since he'd last visited her, and he wondered if her condition had altered so far, if even a little bit.

He knocked on the heavy doors of the Hospital Wing and Madam Pomfrey's muffled voice called him in. "Just a minute, wait there," her voice sounded from behind one of the linen screens. "Now, there, it'll hurt a bit, but in the morning you're arm should be good as new."

Snape came a little bit closer and recognised the boy who'd fallen of his broom during practice earlier. His arm had almost split in two parts. When the boy noticed him, he edged away a little. Snape still gave younger students the chills sometimes.

"Oh, professor Snape, what can I do for you? Shouldn't you be downstairs to have dinner?" said Madam Pomfrey in surprise as she noticed him towering over her shoulder.

"I just wanted to pay Minerva is a visit. How is she doing? She still lies in the same bed, I assume?"

"Yes, the farthest bed on the right. Well, her condition vacillates. Every now and then, she says she feels well enough to get out of bed... but she never does, though," Madam Pomfrey whispered.

"Right, so I may conclude that chances are she won't return anytime soon?" Snape asked, a little disappointed.

Secretly, he'd hoped that Madam Pomfrey would have better news, that Minerva would almost be up and about again, that he would no longer need to be Headmaster. Because frankly, he was a little weary due to the continuous strain of work, and he had found he lacked time to do the things that really mattered to him. Also, being Headmaster reminded him too much of that awful year 19 years prior.

"I can't predict the future... but I doubt it. As I said, she is very weak, even on her better days," said Madam Pomfrey, whilst making her way over to Minerva's bed.

Professor McGonagall sat upright, propped up against a few pillows. Her hair was braided very neatly and lay draped over her right shoulder. When Snape and Madam Pomfrey appeared, she looked up, her eyes a little bit unfocused. Snape quietly sat down in the chair next to the night stand.

Just when he was about to say something, Madam Pomfrey interrupted him: "Professor, I don't think it is a good idea to have long conversations now... Minerva is not well," said she softly.

"I promise, I won't make it longer than necessary," Snape assured her.

Madam Pomfrey looked uncertain and faintly complained, but eventually she nodded. He was the Headmaster after all. As she turned around her robes made a soft swishing sound, and Snape waited patiently until he heard her close the door of her cabinet.

"Minerva?"

Upon hearing her name, Professor McGonagall slowly turned her head towards him. Her lips twitched a little.

"Severus..." said she hoarsely, "it is a pleasure to see you. I was wondering today, does he still know that I'm alive?"

After saying this, she wheezed and reached for a handkerchief. She coughed long and inhaled sharply in between. The handkerchief showed small specks of red when she put it back, and Snape frowned in concern.

"How do you do, Minerva?" he asked, whilst drawing a small phial from his pocket.

"I've... I've been better, yes, yes I could say I've been better. It hurts sometimes. In the area of my lungs... or no, my stomach... it alternates. Recovery takes longer when you're my age," said she with a rasping chuckle.

Snape pressed his lips together and looked grimly at the paleness of her skin. In the dim light that fell through the windows, it was almost translucent. Like a flimsy roll of parchment that had was passed on too many times.

"I can see what you're thinking, Severus. Back in the days, you were better at hiding your emotions... but I don't mean you should... you're much more likeable now," Minerva smiled. "And yes I probably look ill... but... have you looked at... yourself yet? It's... as if Hades.. himself... is... sitting... beside... my bed," her voice faded away and she doubled up as another outburst of coughs obtruded.

Snape sprang up and handed her the moist handkerchief. Quickly, he conjured a glass of water and slipped the content of the phial in it. "Here, Minerva, drink this. It should ease the pain, and put a momentary stop to the coughing."

Minerva inhaled with effort, but managed to push him away after accepting the glass. "What I wanted to say, Severus... you should take care of yourself. Let someone else fill in for you, before you snap and end up in that bed over th-"

"Minerva, I can handle it... You shouldn't worry about me, worry about recuperating... I brought you a little something to read, by the way," Snape interjected.

"Severus..." Minerva sighed. "The summer holidays are coming up... at least take a leave then. Go see people... you've been too secluded, worked too hard an neglected your own interests... And I know that it's weighing on you, whether you want to admit it or not."

"Hmpf... I will think about it. Merlin's beard, is that the time? I should be heading to the Great Hall for supper. And you should rest," said Snape quickly. "I will leave the books here, they will intrigue you I'm sure. Oh... and you'll be happy to know that Gryffindor beat Slytherin today in Quidditch."

Minerva gave him a watery smile and shook her head, before lying down and closing her eyes. Snape waited until her breath evened and turned around when her breast rose in regular intervals.

Before he could exit, Madam Pomfrey rushed to his side and asked: "Severus, just a question, I'm running out of Minerva's usual potions and mixtures, could you brew some more, please? And while you're at it, I'm also short of Antidotes to Uncommon Poisons, Drowsiness Draughts, and Pepperup Potion."

Snape grumbled something incomprehensible and went out of the door. He didn't really feel like joining everyone in the Great Hall anymore, but he knew it was his duty as Headmaster to at least show his face for a little while. So that's what he did. Fortunately, dinner was almost over when he appeared and he only had to sit through dessert. On his left, Hagrid was ladling huge portions of porridge on his plate and the scent of vanilla penetrated his nose. On his right, Sybille was messing with a slice of cherry jelly pie. One way or another, the pie just wouldn't find its way to her mouth.

"How's Minerva, Sev'rus? I 'aven't been around lately. I should bring 'er some of my newest flow'rs. I develop'd bright orange ones that resemble flat pumpkins, isn't that great?" Hagrid chewed with his mouth open.

"I've just visited her. I believe her health is improving," said Snape tersely.

"Arh, that's nice to hear! I always thought: she's er strong woman, she is. Merlin knows she'll outlast us all," said Hagrid optimistically. "I think the students miss 'er too, you know, she's just so exquisite, no witch can replace 'er if you ask me. Although I can't say I've ever been thought by her, with me being thrown out when I was just a kiddo, but -"

Snape gave him a brief smile, before saying: "If you'll just excuse me...". He rose from his chair, his back straight as a plank, and he strode to the lectern to announce that dinner was over.

Snape went through a door in the back, which instantly led him to the dungeons. The last thing he wanted was to get trapped in a mass of jostling teenagers at this point. Back in his office he slumped against the door. He felt slightly dizzy, and too tense to go to sleep yet. He thought he needed to focus on something to clear his mind and he sat down to correct some OWL essays that he should've returned three weeks ago. Four lines he read before his tired eyes watered en the letters swam around on the page.

He sighed and decided to start with the potions that Madam Pomfrey had requested. They would have to simmer for twelve hours, so he thought he could hand them to her the next day if he set them up now. "First, the Pepperup Potion..." he mumbled out loud, as he opened the door to his personal storage.

"Mandrake Root, Fire Seeds... Fire Seeds? I thought I still had a sufficient amount of them... Where did I put...? Ok, then I'll start with the Drowsiness Draughts instead... Valerian sprigs... hm that needs a refill... lavender... Merlin's beard, forgot to place that order for one kilogram of Standard Ingredient." Snape looked at the empty jar in annoyance.

Involuntarily his thoughts drifted away to the dense forests of Canada. Nothing but the soft breeze rustling through the thick foliage would ruffle him there. Mild temperatures, fresh air, a crackling campfire at night? He could enjoy peace and quiet. For once. Maybe Minerva was right in saying that he'd been to hard on himself? Perhaps he should avail himself of the summer holidays? And not just for work?

Mulling this over in his head, he grabbed a piece of parchment and sat down at his desk. He slowly dipped his pen in the ink and wrote the first words down.

 _Dear Robert_


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks a lot for the positive reviews. If you have any comments at all, please tell me. Here's chapter 2, I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 2

The sun shed its thin, waterly light over the Lake as Snape trudged through the dewy grass. His backpack was heavier than he'd anticipated, making it harder to walk with each step and he wasn't even past the gates of the school yet. In his hand he held the flight tickets for Canada. Robert had phoned him a few days prior to tell them he'd bought them for him, because he didn't think it a good idea to Apparate such a long distance. And while Snape appreciated that his friend wanted to make sure that he didn't end up as shark meat somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, he was still disgruntled that he had to use Muggle facilities. Aeroplanes gave him the creeps. He trusted his own flying abilities more than those aluminium boxes with wings. Besides, flying on his own accord would have been better for the environment anyway.

Once outside the gates, he did Apparate to London Heathrow though. There was no way that he was going to take the Hogwart's Express, even though he had his compartment, separated from the students who were also going home. It just wasn't as efficient and fast.

He arrived at the airport at the busiest hour of day and there were so many people rushing by with their suitcases, fancy sun hats and sunglasses that nobody even noticed he popped up out of nowhere. The minute he started walking through the vast hallway, however, some people pointed at him. With his black attire and travelling robes, he attracted a fair amount of attention. He didn't really blend in with the summery, flashy outfits around him, and it bugged him. It bugged him, because Robert had warned him it was going to be this way, and he had blatantly rejected his warning. Now he had to bear the consequences.

His presence at the airport didn't go by unnoticed, because of the small errors that he made. It started at the check-ins where he'd accidentally given his WizzPass instead of the Muggle passport that Robert had provided for him. Fortunately, the lady behind the desk thought he was trying to prank her and didn't really pay attention to it. Then, at the customs they almost discovered his wand and asked him what he was planning to do with the phials and jars in the US. The answer he came up with was far from believable, and the customs eyed him suspiciously. And lastly, he'd confused the number of the gate he had to go to with another number that he didn't know the function of.

Eventually, he managed to get on the aeroplane. He was squeezed in between a little girl who was crying for at least the half of the flight, and an older man who was constantly mumbling out loud, which made Snape wonder if he was actually addressing him or not.

After almost eight hours of continuous whining and incomprehensible rambling, Snape arrived in Quebec at the break of dawn. His temper was as bad as the weather by the time he entered the arrivals hall.

"Severus!" Robert shouted, from behind a huge family who were waiting with banners and balloons for the arrival of a successful PhD student.

Snape looked up, and saw his friend waving at him. He was wearing shorts, a striped tank top and a pair of sportive shoes. His skin was gleaming a little bit due to a rather thick layer of sunscreen and his enormous orange sunglasses covered half of his cheeks. With a slight sense of disdain, Snape smiled a little bit. The way he remembered Robert was totally different. But then again, the last time he'd seen Robert, he'd been a wealthy lawyer, who knew what he did now.

"Severus! God, you're looking the worse for wear. Had a rough flight?" Robert asked, already taking Snape's backpack. "And what did you put in here? It's darn heavy."

"I urgently need new herbs to prepare the necessary potions for the Hospital Wing next year, so I packed some jars and other receptacles with me," answered Snape.

"Ah, fantastic! I'm sure you'll find what you need here in the Canadian woods. Oh, by the way, I'm sorry my girlfriend couldn't make it to the airport today, but she's busy. Smart girl, she is, she's a judge," said Robert, walking towards his land rover.

"Your _girlfriend_? I thought this was supposed to be a men-only trip?"

"Haha, I'm sorry, I should've told you. You don't mind she's coming do you? She's been looking forward to it."

"Is she a witch? And are we driving in _that_ vehicle?"

"Yeah, isn't she beautiful? Bought her last year for a song. And yeah, of course she's a witch, one of the best, if you ask me. She could probably curse a legion of giant trolls if she wanted to."

Snape wrinkled his nose, studying the black car. "And she's also an expatriate like you?"

"She is. But she's Britisher than me. She kept a lot of her old habits, because she doesn't like the American or rather the Canadian ways" said Robert, shrugging, "But who can blame her, right? Come on, get in the car."

The car pulled up with a roar and Robert steered them away from the airport. Soon they were well on their way. All the time they remained silent, except for Robert who was humming along with the music every now and then.

When they drove through the centre of a town, Snape suddenly asked: "Do I happen to know your girlfriend? If she is that remarkable, I must have heard of her?"

"I guess you do, she's - HEY WATCH OUT!" Robert put his hand on the horn and his foot on the brake, as a couple crossed the road without looking. "Did you see that? People are so ignorant these days, think they're the only people on this planet. And if I'd hit them, it would have been my fault. Unbelievable... Anyways... we were talking about... er... remind me what we were talking about? It slipped my mind"

"Never mind..." Snape mumbled, looking a little pale. "Er...I hope this drive won't last too long? I don't have a death wish... Can't we just Apparate to wherever it is you are taking me? I really don't understand your fascination for Muggle facilities, Robert."

"Relax, Sev," Robert grinned, "things like these happen all the time. I've got it under control. And to be completely honest with you, the reason why we're not Apparating is because I haven't done it in, like, forever. It would be a bummer if I got splinched before our holiday together got off the ground, wouldn't it?"

"You could have side-Apparated with me..." said Snape, clenching his teeth as another car raced by and honked.

"You wouldn't know where to go. Besides, it's only a half hour drive, so we're almost there. Stop worrying so much, Sev! No wonder you're so overworked and burnt out. Oh, and here take this," Robert pulled out a paper bag from behind his chair, "I reckon you must be hungry. It looks like a sorry excuse for breakfast, but I swear it's tasty. There's several things in there, and they're all Canadian. There's this round sticky thing that is full of flavour, I assure you, then underneath that there should be something with eggs and bacon and-"

Snape opened the bag and peered inside it. "Robert, I appreciate your descriptions, although they're slightly redundant, but I can still recognise a cinnamon doughnut or a bagel if I see one, thank you very much."

"Okay, you're so touchy on this beautiful morning... I just wanted to tell you about them, 'cause they're my personal favourites. This morning at the baker's I thought: "Hm, what would Sev like?" And then I remembered these huge breakfasts at Hogwarts and I got even more puzzled, because I remembered they were so varied. So I thought: "Robert, just get him some Canadian specials. The ones that _you_ like the most. Sev'll like that."

While Robert was genuinely ranting on and on about all kinds of other things, the scenery gradually changed from urbanised to natural. The roads became smaller and on both sides of them, magnificent trees and hills appeared. Snape stopped listening to Robert and shifted his attention to the breathtaking landscape that was whizzing by. Suddenly, Robert turned the car onto a gravel parking lot, close to a small path that zigzagged between the trees and up the hill. Snape got out of the car as fast as he could and the first thing he did was breath in the mountainous air, gladly stretching his limbs.

"Finally... in Dumbledore's name, I will _not_ enter that cursed vehicle again on this trip. You may plead however you wish, but I will not..." said Snape decidedly, scanning his surroundings. "By the way, where is your bungalow? I thought..."

"Aha, it is way over there," Robert pointed. Snape narrowed his eyes and shielded them from the sun in order to see something.

"I don't see anything except mountains."

"No, of course you don't, because the bungalow is _behind_ that mountain chain. Roughly six to seven hours of hiking, depending on how fast we walk." said Robert enthusiastically, while taking his own backpack from the boot.

"And what about the car?" Snape asked, while letting Robert's words sink in.

"Remember that small blue house we passed by just five minutes ago? I know the man who lives there, and I called him to pick up the car and drive it to the other side. She's going to wait there for us until we're there."

Snape coughed, "Robert... I don't know what you expect me to do exactly, but I am not in the mood to cross a mountain chain... on foot. I came here to rest, and to enjoy a quiet two weeks, not to enhance my physique."

"It's not to _enhance your physique_. You'll see, it'll have a wonderful effect on your mental health as well. And look, it's a perfect day for hiking! Come on, it's going to be so much fun, and this way we'll have plenty of time to catch up on each other!"

"Robert... I am tired, I don't want to go on this stupid hike..."

"Do whatever you like, Sev, but I'm not going to stand here waiting on you," said Robert, already walking to the small path. "For all I care you fly over there, haha."

"It is but a word," Snape mumbled, strapping his backpack tightly to his body. Then, in a cloud of black smoke he took off and rushed past Robert.

"What the?!" Robert cried out in surprise as Snape soared high above him, and landed ten meters ahead of him. "Heey! I didn't mean... Come on, man, that's unfair!"

"On the other side of the mountain chain you said? I'll be patiently awaiting you," Snape called with a smirk, before setting off again.

Robert sighed, "Really?" before running after Snape.

About an hour later, Robert gave up and Apparated to Snape's side. He breathed heavily and sweated all over. "Sev, you're a pain in the ass, do you know that?"

"I thought you couldn't Apparate anymore... It is always nice to see what kind of misconceptions one can have. Now, is that the place?"

"Yeah, down...there in the valley. The one... phew... with the flashy... rooftop. Ok, get in the car, you scalawag, I want a shower now. And get that darn smirk off your face!"

The road downwards had many sharp turns and Snape felt sick every time he saw how close they were to the edge. He even shrieked sometimes, which made Robert laugh wholeheartedly. Snape couldn't help but think that Robert reminded him of a crazy Australian farmer for some unknown reason. And he was rather annoyed by it.

When Robert stopped the car in front of his garage, the front door swung open and the second he got out of the car a woman flung her arms around him.

"Hey, I thought you had a trial today?" said Robert, kissing her tenderly.

"No, they cancelled it for today and rescheduled it, because one of the suspects had severely wounded himself in his cell. Don't ask how, it's absurd. But it was quite opportune, anyway, since two solicitors fell illl due to food poisoning. By the way you're so early, I didn't expect you to be here until at least eight o'clock," the woman said, flicking a little fly off Robert's shoulder. "Where is your friend?"

At that precise moment, Snape dizzily stumbled out of the car. When he saw the woman his mouth fell open. "Hermione?"


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Excuse me for the delay, but here it is, chapter 3. There's not so much Hermione - Snape interaction just yet, but next chapter I will inevitably write about them. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 3

"Er... I mean... not Hermione, but Mrs... Miss Granger?" Snape stammered, looking as though he'd seen a ghost. "You... and..." The words were stuck in his throat.

The woman didn't gave him any sign of recognition, but looked him as if he were a perfect stranger. "Sir, how do you know me exactly? Have we met before?" she asked him, while racking her brains for any memory of him.

Snape's eyes narrowed. Had he mixed her up with someone who looked a lot like her? Or was it just a projection of his own imagination and desire? Because if there was one person he had missed an awful lot the past 20 years, it was her. After the War, he'd been found at the very last moment by one of his fellow Death Eaters who'd got the order to get rid of his corpse. He'd never expected that person to feel the least compassionate, but somehow he woke up in a wizarding hospital in Slovenia. When he got out of hospital a year had passed by and he didn't feel the urge to return to Hogwarts and everybody he knew. That way, loads of people hadn't a clue that he was still alive. Hermione was the only person he'd tried to contact, but it had been in vain.

"Excuse me, I... um... I must have mistaken you for someone else, the resemblance is just so striking," Snape said, finding his composure again.

The woman looked at him with a gleam of interest in her eyes. "No, I _am_ Hermione Granger. It's just that I don't think that I've ever met you before. Surely, I would recall?"

Snape was confused for a moment and just stood there, dumbfounded and rendered speechless. Robert, who'd kept silent all this time, decided to intervene here. "'Mione, love, this is Severus Snape. We used to go to Hogwarts together, well I was in my first year, and he in his fifth, but we found each other through our love for Potions."

"Yes, you've told me that. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you," said Hermione, extending her hand. Snape shook it and by standing closer to her, he could perceive the subtle smell of her perfume. It was a familiar smell, from long ago. "Come on, let me carry your bag inside."

"No, don't. It's really heavy!" Snape grumbled.

Hermione laughed, "Don't be silly! Are you a wizard or not? I'll use the locomotor spell, obviously." And as she said it, she took out her wand from the back pocket of her jeans and flicked it lightly. She lifted the bag off the ground with ease and made her way inside, the bag floating behind her.

Robert gave Snape a little pat on the shoulder and laughed as well. He followed Hermione into the bungalow and beckoned Snape to come too. Reluctantly, Severus moved his feet, pondering over what had just happened.

The bungalow was rather cosy, but not the type of cosy that Snape preferred. In general, it was too light, too airy, too happy, and above all too cliché for Snape to be enamoured by it.

In the living room there was a big hearth and around it a set of soft, brown chairs. The table and window sills were decorated with candles and photo frames, which showed moving pictures of the happy couple. And even though it was meant to look minimalistic and simple, Snape couldn't help but notice the perfectly polished parquet and technological gadgets everywhere.

Above the dining room, an antique chandelier gave off a dim glow, which was reflected on the wooden walls. On one of the walls, there was a huge mirror and Snape was taken aback for a second when he saw his own reflection. His cheeks were a bit sunken, his hair was stickier than ever. The years hadn't gone easy on him either.

Walking on, he entered the kitchen, which was also in the same country-like style. Dark wooden cupboards, light wooden floor, large windows... The natural colours were more represented here, and of all the rooms, Snape thought this one seemed the most peaceful.

Robert came to stand next to him. "D'you like it? Hermione furnished it all by herself. I said to myself: that girl knows about this stuff, let her do her thing, and this is the result," said Robert, waving animatedly around him. "The minute I stepped into this bungalow, I was hooked, Sev."

"I'm not blown away by it, Robert. But I can see why you would be fond of it," said Snape dryly.

"Oh Sev, within two weeks, when you'll have to leave again, this place will be in your heart too, I promise. And come look," Robert crossed the room to the large windows in the back," _this_ is our garden."

Looking through the glass, shimmering in the afternoon sunlight, Severus saw a magnificent view. The house was standing at the foot of a steep slope and everywhere he looked, large trees and shrubs adorned the hill. On both sides of the slope, two slim and tall mountains arose, throwing shadow over it all. In between the tops of the mountains, the blue sky shone brightly.

"That's something else, isn't it?" said Robert wit a silly grin on his face. "Hermione and I, we come here every summer. We never get tired of it. And see these forests over there? That's where we're going to hike a bit... that is, if you want? I mean, you weren't too keen on hiking today?"

"I just need a little bit of rest, that is all," said Snape. "I'll better get some sleep now, and put my luggage away."

"Your luggage is already taken care of, Sev... Hey, now that I think of it, it seemed like you knew Hermione well? Not that it would surprise me, given that she probably went to Hogwarts while you were a member of staff there."

"Yes, she was a student and..." Snape hesitated, debating what to tell Robert. He took a breath and continued: "I don't know her as well as you think. I know that she was one of the Golden Trio, as Potter, Weasley and she were called back in the day, but other than that I didn't socialise with her nor did I think she was astoundingly proficient in Potion brewing or any subject for that matter. A know-it-all, yes, but she definitely lacked great talent. Consequently, I've always wondered what happened with her after the Battle, to be honest. My best guess was some smaller post at the Ministry of Magic, but apparently that didn't work out."

Robert looked incredulously at him and shook his head. He walked up to a cupboard in the living-room that was chock-a-block with all kinds of brandy and he gestured Snape to sit down in one of the armchairs by the fireplace.

"Sev," said Robert seriously, while handing Snape a glass, "she did work at the Ministry. And she wasn't mediocre, not at all. In fact, she was well on her way to become the greatest Minister of Magic Britain had ever seen. That's also when and where our paths crossed. I was this British ambassador from the US and I had several meetings with Shacklebolt. At the time she was his assistant at the Department of Magical Law, so naturally we met. Nothing happened however, not until she was hit -"

Snape's eyes flashed a second and he interrupted worryingly: "She was hit? When? Where? In what circumstances?"

Snape's reaction was quite surprising to Robert and he looked curiously at him. "She was... hit... yes, in a small riot organised by adversaries of the new legislations. It was a Forgetfulness Charm unfortunately. At St-Mungo's they were able to restore quite a lot of her memory, but she lost too much to serve as a Ministry magistrate. She was so down in the dumps that I offered her to come with me to the US, and she acquiesced pretty fast. It didn't take long for us to get together, really, and we moved to Canada. And look where she is now, one of the most eminent judges in the area."

At this point in his story, Robert was blushing and gesticulating lively. Snape on the other hand was fairly flustered, clutching the arm rests of the chair and feeling his stomach turn. That was the reason she'd forgotten about him and why the few letters he'd tried to send her always came back to him. All these years of waiting and longing, it was all waisted.

"Why did you never tell me anything? Isn't having a partner quite relevant news?" Snape asked gruffly.

"I didn't know you cared... and quite frankly, in the past years we didn't talk very much now did we? Besides, is it that special?" Robert asked.

"Well... With a young woman like Miss Granger..." Snape mumbled, crossing his arms. "I may not be very acquainted with her, but she was still one of my students."

"Yeah, those things happen, the world is smaller than you think. But hey, that's no reason to sulk, is it?' Robert remarked, when he saw Snape's frown. "We're going to have a wonderful two weeks together. Forget the past! You'll see, she's a great cook and an entertainer and all that," said Robert, in his usual chirpy way again.

Snape pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Yes... I have no doubt that she is... I think I'll go and have a little nap now. Anything on the programme this evening that I should know of?"

"Er... Well, I suggest maybe having a nice welcoming dinner? And surveying the area a bit. Just a little walk around the bungalow, so that you'll know your way around and won't get lost."

Snape nodded, before turning around. On his way to the stairs, he nearly bumped into Hermione. "Oh, er... Severus was it? I'm sorry, I'm bad with names. I've put your bag in the guest room, but I'm afraid I broke one of your phials" Hermione gave a guilty smile.

"How on earth did you manage to do just that?" Snape asked, scowling at her.

"I'm so, so sorry, it just rolled out of your bag, and I wanted to put it back, but I didn't grasp it tightly enough and it slipped out of my fingers and it fell to the ground... I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to-" Hermione rambled, feeling her cheeks go red.

"Are you aware that you could have easily repaired it with _Reparo_? I may not have noticed even," said Snape in annoyance. "Never mind, it is too late now. _Don't_ touch my tools and personal belongings ever again, is that understood?"

Hermione nodded fervently. She was thrown off balance by his snarky response, but somehow she wanted to make it right. This was weird, because she'd never felt that way with any man before. She'd never sought for approval, she'd always been self-confident enough, but Snape could seemingly single-handedly eradicate all of that confidence with a snap of his fingers.

In his bedroom, Snape locked the door and sunk down on the white coverlet on the bed. His bag was leaning against the wardrobe and some other phials were scattered around it. He rolled his eyes and took out his wand to clean up the mess. When he crossed Hermione on the stairs, a memory flashed through his mind. Just a very small memory, nothing noteworthy, but it moved him more than he wanted to admit.

In her fifth year, he'd given her detention once, because earlier that week she'd dropped a few of his jars with precious ingredients. It was her first detention ever for Potions, and she was quite disgruntled from the very first to the very last minute of it. Especially because he'd slightly threatened that if she didn't do well in detention, he would meddle with her OWLs. For one and a half hour on end she had to repair vases and cups and cauldrons and phials, and afterwards she'd had cramps in her wand arm for the rest of the evening.

All the while, Snape had had the opportunity to watch her carefully, but without her noticing. Not in a creepy way, but with a genuine fascination for the young witch. Yes, she was clumsy, aggravatingly so, but she was exceptional on so many other levels that he couldn't help but appreciate her just a little bit. And every now and then, she furtively looked up to steal a glance, and when he looked back, she quickly turned away.

Snape closed his eyes to keep that shy smile in his mind, but it slipped away out of his grasp. It was too long ago, and the edges of that memory had faded too much to hold on to it any longer.

"And don't forget, Severus, she is someone else's now," said Snape wistfully. "She's with Robert now... She doesn't remember you, nor what you had. Forget the past, Sev," he said, imitating Robert.

After a few minutes, Snape's eyelids became heavy and he let himself drift off into a dreamless sleep. Somewhere in the back of his mind, images of Hermione still simmered and wavered. Images of a time when he felt more alive than ever.


End file.
